09.15
#05. Revenge/Remembrance (Rurouni Kenshin)
Creator: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Original Years of Publication: 1997-1999
Manga: Volumes #18-28, Chapters #152-255
Anime: Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal #1-4 (Remembrance only)
Studio: Studio Deen
Japanese Publisher: Shueisha (Weekly Shonen Jump)
North American Publisher: Viz Media
North American Distributor: Aniplex of America
Recommended Version: Manga
Revenge:
Rurouni Kenshin is a story about change; changing times, changing values, and changing people. Moreover, it’s the story of how it’s main character, Kenshin Himura, makes an oath to atone for his past sins, swearing to protect the innocent, and never kill again, and how he commits to those principles. But, to quote the words of the first Toonami promo for the anime, “old memories seldom fade, and bad habits die hard.” Throughout the series Kenshin encounters those much like himself: people who are troubled by the past and their regrets, attempting to regain something they’ve lost. Kenshin’s interactions with these people not only reopen old wounds, but also challenge Kenshin’s commitment to his new values. As one of Kenshin’s former enemies puts it, he only needs to flip his reverse-blade sword, and the spirit of a ruthless killer would awaken once again. An important aspect of the Kyoto arc was Kenshin struggling with the temptation to return into his old ways as the killer hitokiri Battousai. If Kenshin was left alone, he may have been forced by the circumstances to give up his oath. However, Kenshin not only had people he cared dearly about and had sworn to protect, but people who believed in his principles and, most importantly, in him, and ultimately, that was what allowed him to stop himself from falling back to his old ways. In the end, the Kyoto arc saw Kenshin finally abandon his identity as the hitokiri Battousai for good, the danger of reverting to what he once was forever avoided. But while Kenshin may may have finally quieted the temptations of old habits, he is unable to quell the burdens of old memories that continue to weigh on his mind.
And they weigh on the minds of others as well. Though Kenshin has earned the forgiveness of many former foes, there are some so entrenched in the past and hurt so deeply by Kenshin that their greatest wish in life is nothing more than to see him suffer as much as they have. And so, a group of people who loathe the Battousai have come together, seeking but one thing – jinchuu, or, in english, revenge. And the greatest grudge among them is held by none other than the group’s leader, Yukishiro Enishi, a man with a very deep, personal vendetta against Kenshin, fanatically determined to avenge a person both once held dear, and whose death Kenshin was responsible for. Enishi, blinded by this single-minded desire, seeks to punish Kenshin for his past sins, putting not only Kenshin but also his friends in mortal peril as the band of blood-thirsty revengers set out to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear.
The Revenge arc serves as the ultimate test for Kenshin’s character arc of self-redemption. It forces him to not only face old demons from his past, but re-examine what he’s fighting for and what he must continue strive for. Kenshin had abandoned his life as a vagabond before this arc, having found a place and people he cares about and care about him enough to want to stay. Now that decision has put those people in danger, and having lost someone close to him before, he refuses to allow yet another innocent suffer because of his past deeds. He’s ultimately pushed to a point of emotional exhaustion, his will to live broken after a tragic event. But though his heart is wounded, his hand still clings to his sword. Kenshin battles not just an external enemy, but an internal one. He must leave behind the memories that haunt him and his regrets, and focus on what he can do in the present, and in the future. Enishi embodies the past Kenshin has struggled to forget, and he creates for him a situation where he must overcome great suffering and grief and learn to embrace what happened and be content in who he’s become. Kenshin has struggled throughout the series trying to understand what it means to truly change. In the Revenge arc, he finally finds his answer.
Some RK fans feel that Kyoto was the apex of the series and the Revenge arc was unnecessary. It’s true that the core conflict of this arc is not quite on the same scale as it was in Kyoto, where the entire nation of Japan was at stake. But the Revenge arc is what makes the series truly whole. It’s the most personal, resolving the series long struggle of Kenshin’s self-redemption character arc, providing an answer to the mystery of Kenshin’s past while allowing him to finally come to terms with it. It’s the what the series felt like it was building towards, the defining chapter of the story, providing a conflict that brings out the best in every character and provides finality for each one’s personal arc in a way that feels natural and complete. It is where a story about change makes it’s final case, the arc that really sets it apart from most other battle shonen, and what truly makes Rurouni Kenshin the masterpiece it is. The Revenge arc ranks as one of the greatest arcs to come out of any manga, and is a true classic of it’s medium, lightning in a bottle that very few rival and very few ever will. ~Cartoon X
Remembrance:
No, we aren’t cheating here by including two entries in the place of one. Technically, Remembrance is a smaller part of the Revenge arc. A more appropriate way to look at it would be as an arc within an arc. It just happens to be such a special, stand-out part of the Revenge arc that we felt that it deserved its own focus in this write-up. For you see, this flash-back arc, which is usually taboo and almost a guaranteed flop in most shounen series, manages to answer the captivating question of how Kenshin went from being the legendary man-slayer to the peaceful vagabond that we know him as throughout most of the series. The events of this distant memory detail Kenshin’s character arc as we see his tragic upbringing, learning how he went from being an innocent child to a cold-blooded killer who served as a central central figure in the war leading up to the Meiji era of Japan, and from there to abruptly rescinding the code of life that he lived by up to that point. Essentially, Remembrance is a character arc within a story arc within a story arc. I call it arc-ception!
Admittedly, it’s very difficult to give away any major plot details of this arc without letting out some major spoilers, but some details must still be spared. The first quarter of this arc deals with a then child-aged Kenshin being rescued by his future mentor, Hiko Seijuro. Upon their second encounter a day later, Seijuro decides to take Kenshin in and teach him the way of the sword. Kenshin naturally proves to be a prodigy and becomes a master swordsman by the young age of 14, yet he leaves the presence of his master on bitter terms when they have a falling out. Kenshin wants to participate in the revolutionary war on the side in favor of establishing the Meiji government to replace the old and outdated systems of Japan. What results is a still relatively young Kenshin, who thinks he understands the world and knows what’s best, venturing out to become a true legend among samurai, albeit for reasons he would never be proud of. He becomes an integral part of the war in under a year’s time, and kills many, many men, without a hint of remorse.
Then, one day, he meets a woman, and as you’d expect, everything changes. Tomoe, as she’s called, has come as a spy, and seeks to fulfill a personal vendetta against Kenshin for having killed her fiance (albeit unbeknownst to him, of course). The proceeding events really do a tremendous amount to detail Kenshin’s character in ways that we haven’t seen before. Here, we see a side of his character that is the complete antithesis to the one we know throughout most of the series. He is true to himself only in that he believes he is serving a just cause, but outside of that, he is cold-blooded and downright arrogant. The beauty of this situation, however, is that he is eventually forced to look at himself, and realize that the ideals he thought he was fighting for have become so skewed out of his original intentions right under his nose. Gradually, he becomes more unsure of himself and highly unstable, yet it’s this gradual (and fascinating) breakdown which makes the future development of his character, slowly but surely, into the Kenshin that we are all familiar with a possibility, and a rewarding one for any fan to witness, at that.
And, it’s at this point where I must stop giving away further details, but needless to say, the rest of the story and Kenshin’s character arc, as he interacts with Tomoe, is a flat-out masterpiece. Even if you think you know how it will play out, you find that you don’t even think about it much because the execution is so perfect that the story is too engrossing to criticize it for being predictable (which to be fair it has to be, since the outcome was already revealed in the present story-line before this arc even began). To put it in a single description, picture all of the excellent plotting and memorable characterization of a Shakespearean tragedy, expertly combined with the action-packed craziness of a great battle shounen series. If that doesn’t sound amazing to you, then a list like this probably isn’t for you in general. For everyone else, this is an unforgettable classic. ~Dr. Ensatsu-ken
#04. 2014 (20th Century Boys)
Creator: Naoki Urasawa
Original Years of Publication: 2000-2003
Manga: Volumes #5-15, Chapters #50-169
Japanese Publisher: Shogakukan (Big Comic Spirits)
North American Publisher: Viz Media
So, at the time I am writing this entry, it just so happens to coincidentally be the year that this very arc was named after, and according to this manga, some pretty serious shit is supposed to go down before the year ends. It’s content like in this arc that can make me glad that we don’t live in a world of fiction such as this (although, we do still have a few months left, so who knows). From the acclaimed manga author behind Monster (another fantastic series that is prominently featured on this list), we were treated with yet another masterpiece under the name of 20th Century Boys (and the ending to the series which was specifically released under the title 21s Century Boys). Much like Monster, discussing absolutely any tiny bit of this manga’s plot is at risk for delving into deep spoiler territory, so the challenge will be in trying to convey its brilliance while being as vague about it as possible, but try I shall.
For starters, the concept of this manga alone is as complex and grand-in-scale as they come. To put it simply, imagine a story like Stephen King’s It, where a group of youths grow up and must reunite with each other to fight an evil that is mysteriously and hauntingly linked to their past. Now, imagine that story actually done well, and you have a better idea of what 20th Century Boys is about, with the exception that these characters must come together several times throughout the years. The first arc of this story takes place between 1997-1999 within the context of this fictional world, and deals with a mysterious cult that is slowly but surely growing in number and scope as its ambitious yet elusive goals come crashing into the lives of Kenji and his friends. Of particular note is how these cultists seem to have a particular interest in capturing Kenji’s own niece, Kanna, who is just an infant throughout most of this phase of the story, and is clearly someone sacred in their pseudo-religion of sorts. As the mystery starts to unfold and the scope of the conspiracy grows unbelievably out of control, the cultists unleash a deadly terrorist attack which costs millions of lives and results in a night that is known as Bloody New Year’s Eve.
Now, fast forward 14 years to 2014, and after all of this chaos and mayhem, that is where this arc only just begins. In this phase of the timeline, the group has been split up after failing to stop the cult, and that so-called cult, lead by the illustrious masked-figure known simply as “Friend,” has risen in power as a full-on legitimate political organization. At this point, our surrogate point of view character has now switched from Kenji to Kanna, who resides by herself in a beat-down neighborhood in China (which is still very communist even in this fictional Universe, in case you were wondering). The arc follows not only her exploits, but those of Kenji’s other friends as well, all of whom have been split up and stuck in various circumstances, from being in hiding disguised as various everyday people to being stuck in one of the most elite prisons known to man. The story from here proceeds throughout the year as they each get their time in the story to pick themselves up from defeat and find a way to band together once more to stop Friend’s organization from growing even further in power and reaching their ultimate goal. However, the stakes are even greater than ever as this may very well be their last chance in a plot that’s so crazy that it involves everything from alliances with underground crime syndicates to attempting to stop the assassination of the Pope.
That is everything I can possibly give away about the plot without downright killing any major twist of the story, but needless to say, it does it no justice. What does make this arc so fascinating, though, oddly enough does not deal strictly with the elements of its plot, but rather the characters that move it forward. You see, 20th Century Boys, at its heart, has always essentially been a story about growing up and learning from your life experiences. I know how strange it feels to read that with all of this other plot mumbo-jumbo going on the whole time, yet like any great story, all of that content is just a metaphor for something in real life. In that light, if Monster was Naoki Urasawa’s metaphor about humanity’s balance between good and evil based on what always seem like the best of intentions for humanity as a whole, 20th Century Boys is ironically the more down-to-earth metaphor about the trials and tribulations of growing up. Let’s really think about it. The main conflict of this series is brought upon by the main antagonist, Friend, who it is revealed from early on in the manga is directly linked to the past of the main cast. As the story goes on through the years, the characters have been their separate ways for more time than they have been together, and have gone through both many achievements and tragedies throughout their lives. With this manga being heavily invested in contrasting its character flash-backs with what is actually happening in their character arcs in the present, we get to see various facets of what one has to deal with throughout different phases of their life.
One particular character has to deal with the fact that he was so engrossed in his work as a man that he never truly got to know his own son, and when his very son died in a tragic accident, it spiraled him into depression for years, before a soul-searching journey brought him back to reality. It serves as his lesson throughout the series to truly cherish and protect the people that he cares for. Another character arc deals with a character who always turned the blind-eye to any wrong-doing, and with the world at peril now, he must take responsibility and stand up to what he knows is wrong, even at the cost of his own life. Kanna in particular must take the little that she got to learn from Kenji when she still lead a normal life, and must do the rest of her coming of age on her own as she sets forth to reunite their group. And the main antagonists of this arc, especially Friend, are all people who have deep ties to their past and in many ways, never truly grew up or improved themselves as people. Even various new characters who are introduced in this very arc, as well as the final arc, represent different aspects of different phases of life, and must achieve their own coming of age in some regard within the context of the plot as this separated yet bound together group of characters fight for their lives and attempt to oppress the forces of Friend, with the very world hanging in the balance. Talking about an arc like 2014 is no simple feat, but suffice it to say that it’s on our list for a reason, and 20th Century Boys is an absolute must read for any and every fan of adult fiction.
~Dr. Ensatsu-ken
#03. Chapter Black (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Creator: Yoshihiro Togashi
Original Years of Publication: 1993-1994
Manga: Chapters #113-153
Anime: Episodes #67-94
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Japanese Publisher: Shueisha (Weekly Shonen Jump)
North American Publisher: Viz Media
North American Distributor: FUNimation Entertainment
Streaming: FUNimation
Recommended Version: Anime
By all rights, Yu Yu Hakusho should probably be forgotten by now. It’s a show about a hot blooded teenager who saves the world with his special powers and strange group of friends. I mean, come on! There’s even a tournament arc, for crying out loud! The artwork isn’t all too amazing, the designs are fairly competent, and the final arc in the manga was pretty much a disaster on an epic scale ending a popular manga in a way they should have left it cosigned to the back of any list. So you might be looking at what was just written and then the ranking on the list and scratching your head. That’s okay, it’s a bit of a funny story. That being the anime directed by Noriyuki Abe (Director of famed anime GTO) and written by Yukiyoshi Ohashi took what was a pretty good shonen manga, sanded off the rotten parts, sharpened the edges, and brought the original story to its full potential (though Yoshihiro Togashi does get credit for an excellent arc on his own for the manga).
Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the best shonen anime out there that stands the test of time for several reasons. The first is that underneath everything, Yoshihiro Togashi is nothing if not an excellent plotter and incredible at characterization, no matter how awful his work can get by being bogged down in gore, meandering moments, or bad story choices, those two strengths always shine through. It is a skill few shonen authors have, and most overlook for cool powers or flashy moves. The second is that the show succeeds at everything it sets out to do from lighthearted comedy to drama to action sequences. The third is that it eventually salvaged what was an irredeemably awful final arc in the manga, fleshed out the themes, dropped the chaff, and gave the series the proper ending it deserved. The final reason is the very arc this entry is about. Chapter Black is one of the best arcs in manga or anime, and stands tall as Yoshihiro Togashi’s crowning achievement in his very, very, very, strange career.
The story so far is about a teenage punk named Yusuke Uremeshi who is a spirit detective. He fights paranormal crime and saves the world with his spirit sword-wielding friend Kuwabara, sly fox-demon pal Kurama, and the rebel without a care Hiei. So far, the group of four has managed to tumble through a few scrapes together with nothing but spirit energy and a lot of planning, but with Chapter Black, they are pushed to a whole new level. This time they have to fight a human, something they have so far avoided doing.
Chapter Black centers on the appearance of psychics due to events from earlier in the series. These psychics have “territories” that they can use their powers with that vary from being creative to being downright deadly. The story starts because a man named Shinobu Sensui, a former spirit detective like out protagonist, enlists a group of these psychics to help him destroy the human world by leading demons into it, something that is strictly forbidden. What ends up occurring is a cat and mouse game between Sensui’s psychics and Yusuke’s group culminating in a reveal about the villain that is at once completely crazy and perfectly reasonable. Much like the villain himself. “Chapter Black” refers to a tape that contains the most horrific acts in human history and it is said that no one can watch it without going mad, to which Sensui did, causing his fragile image of black and white (basically whatever side he is on is white and everything else is black) to shatter and with it his sanity grew a deadly seed that sprouted into the very thing this whole arc is driven by. The unstable personality of Shinobu Sensui is at once a diabolical villain and the force that constantly tests out heroes’ wits and abilities. It is only through Yusuke and his many trials by fire so far that Sensui may see the light before it is too late, or maybe something else will emerge from the dark . . .
Now, characters aside, the action sequences and plot turns in Chapter Black are all as unexpected as they are deliciously well written, using every single trope in the shonen genre into a weapon of Togashi’s own, he is able to surpass them, making this arc his best work to date. If also his sharpest and to the point, themes of black and white, trust, loyalty, and life over death, never failing to guide out characters along. This is the reason Yu Yu Hakusho still remains acclaimed by anime fans even so many years later. It is proof that sometimes even stories that check the boxes can be as exciting and well written as original works . . . except that this work is original as well. In other words, Chapter Black has everything.
There are many ways to experience this arc from the manga (be warned, it gets pretty awful after Chapter Black concludes) to the excellent anime adaption. Go pick up the Funimation collections of this show and go to town. Then maybe you can see what it is that makes a man who is good for bad reasons become a man who is bad for good reasons, and wonder if they’re not both just as mistaken as the other. ~Spark of Spirit
#02. Ruenheim (Monster)
Creator: Naoki Urasawa
Original Year of Publication: 2001
Manga: Volumes #17-18, Chapters #144-162
Anime: Episodes #68-74
Studio: Madhouse
Japanese Publisher: Shogakukan (Big Comic Original)
North American Publisher: Viz Media
North American Distributor: Viz Media (Out of Print)
Recommended Version: Manga
Many years ago, a certain man experimented on certain children, trying to turn a human being into a monster. But then, one day, he fell in love with a woman, and as so often happens, this changed his outlook. But there was no escaping what he did. At least, as long as people still knew who he was. The man who went by many names thus set about to be remembered by none. He attempted a perfect suicide, by killing everyone who knew about the experiments, who knew about the woman, and who knew about her children. He freed one of her children, giving her a name. He then disappeared, retiring to a peaceful, pleasant life. But he failed to erase everything. And those children grew up. One of them molded by his experiences into becoming something frightful. The one who wasn’t given a name. The one who wasn’t told not to become something. The fiction became a reality. The nameless monster came to be.
But eventually, the monster discovered he wasn’t who he thought he was. That the memories he thought were his own were someone else’s. That he was not the one who was supposed to be the monster. But then who was he? Who could he blame? Who was at fault for his life, and his deeds? And so, left with no identity to call his own, the monster decided to end it all. But that wasn’t enough. Like that certain man all those years ago, he needed to completely erase his identity. The monster needed to cease to be real. A real man needed to become a fictional one. And so, he decides to silence all who know of him, and lures them to the place that a certain man now calls his home. That is where it will all end. The place where the monster will commit his perfect suicide, and put an end to everything.
Ruenheim. A peaceful town. Where ordinary people live ordinary lives. There is no crime here, and few if any own guns. Why should they? The worst that ever happens here is a dog gone missing for a day or two. Everyone knows each other, and everyone goes about their daily lives following the same old routine. Nothing remarkable would ever happen in this town. At least, not without a little push. A quiet gunshot. A mysterious death or two. Guns gifted by strangers. People start getting on edge. Paranoia sets in. Old friends start to become suspicious of one another. Tension slowly starts to boil. And then, it starts. A single gunshot spirals the town into a mass of anarchy and bloodshed. These were normal people. They wouldn’t have ever killed before. But in all of humanity lies a delicate balance between good and evil, kept in check by fear and love. And when people start to fear for their lives, or become enveloped by selfish desires, and lose trust in their neighbors, and those they care about, the very worst in all of us is set loose. This is the monster’s thesis. Ruehnheim becomes a display of the worst of humanity, the perfect scenery of doomsday.
Can this be stopped? Can this town be saved? Once it begins, there is no hope of turning back. But there are still things that can be done. Acts of kindness, restraint, trust, and forgiveness; the only way to counter the worst in humanity is to offer it’s best in turn. In the now deadly town of Ruenheim, a small band of people, knowing of the monster’s intentions, attempt to save as many lives as they can by offering and reminding people of these very things. And, for as many lives that are lost, they are as many saved. Good finds ways to overcome evil. One cannot dominate over the other for long, no matter how hard it tries.
In Ruenheim, people find out what they are capable of, and what they had all along. Take the case of another man who had a monster inside him. Though this man was a grinner, he couldn’t actually experience joy or happiness. He couldn’t feel anything at all. Even when he lost someone close to him. Whatever emotions he had, he thought he lost them forever. But humans don’t lose their ability to feel. What was done to him could only hide the feelings from him, locked away deep inside. Normally, when this man experienced a deep pain, eventually, the monster inside him would come to protect him, and do away with his enemies. But in Ruenheim, that monster didn’t come. He felt the pain, the anger, and the rage, and he let them all out. And when he was done, he finds the very things he thought were gone forever return to him. The emotions he should have felt way back when finally come back to him, and for the first time since his childhood, he is able to experience genuine feelings of both sadness and happiness. They tried to rob him of his humanity. But they could only suppress it. People can’t lose their emotions. Sooner or later, the monster inside him was bound to disappear. And, in the end, he returns to being human.
Yes, in Ruenheim, the immutable humanity within all people reveals itself. People find out whether they can really shoot another human being. They discover humility, and regret. They experience guilt, and despair. They are forced to remember things they once wished they didn’t. They realize how precious memories, and one’s sense of identity, truly are. They come to new conclusions about themselves, and come out as better, stronger people for living through it. They discover what they really needed all along was something they never realized they had or could be given in the first place. They also find out things don’t always happen quite the way they plan to. No matter how cruel or cunning, there is no human being who is completely a monster. There is always a chance for redemption. There is always a choice one can make. In the end, the main protagonist of this story is spared having to make one choice that would ruin a life, but is given another than can save someone else’s. The monster was wrong. All human beings are not only equal in death. They have just as much of a right to live too.
This is the end of the tale called Monster. Where the final questions are answered, the last secrets are revealed, and the final choices are made. It culminates a fascinating exploration of the balance of good and evil that dwells within the human spirit, our shared humanity, and what it takes to do what is right. A nuanced, intricate tale that deals with the nature of the human mind, and what we can be capable of at our worst, and our best, the finale lives up to all expectations and exceeds them, providing a conclusion both profound and meaningful. In the end, everything our characters suffer through, all the pain and hardships of their past, are left to memory. Life goes on, people move on, and they find ways to cope and survive. There are some things that can never be forgotten, but that can’t stop people from moving forward to new phases in their life. The final scene says it all. The monster is gone. What happens from there, no one knows. But it’s an optimistic ending, one that promises that these characters, all of them, will find both purpose and happiness in their lives.
And that, friends, is the Ruenheim arc, the greatest piece of storytelling famed mangaka Naoki Urasawa has ever written, and one of the finest stories to ever come out of both it’s medium and all of fiction in general. Yet, this fantastic story arc is still only the second highest arc on our list. There is still one more. One other arc that boasts a profound, meaningful experience similarly unrivaled. And what is this arc, you might ask? Well, it’s none other than… ~Cartoon X
#01. The Fall of Joe Yabuki (Ashita no Joe)
Creators: Asaki Takamori, Tetsuya Chiba
Original Year of Publication: 1970
Manga: Volumes #9-11
Anime: (Ashita no Joe) Episodes #54-71, (Ashita no Joe 2) Episodes #1-6
Studio: Mushi Production (Ashita no Joe), Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Ashita no Joe 2)
Japanese Publisher: Kodansha (Weekly Shonen Magazine)
Streaming: (Ashita no Joe 2/Champion Joe 2) Crunchyroll
Recommended Version: Manga
So, it has finally come down to this. After all of these exciting story arcs on the list that can range from being insanely action-packed to deeply philosophical, we reach our number one choice which happens to be a relatively obscure little title (outside of Japan) that had one other entry lower down on this list. Reading that should have already given you the idea as to what kind of series this is. So, why is it the best story arc in all of anime and manga based on our collective opinion? What does it do better than any other arc on this list? To be quite honest, there is nothing that makes it objectively better than any other arc that we’ve ranked. In fact, this whole thing is obviously based purely on opinion, so none of it is objective. Instead I can attempt to answer why it is collectively our favorite arc. While it may not be nearly as flashy or grandiose as almost any other arc on this list, it is arguably the most deeply personal and genuinely fascinating story arc for any single character out of anything we’ve seen in the medium.
Getting into the meat of this arc without spoiling anything is nearly impossible, and yes, this is a manga where you don’t want certain details spoiled for you. In order to break the ice, though, I’ll let it slide that the subject matter deals with Joe Yabuki’s period of grief over the death of a major character, and arguably the closest friend that Joe has ever had in his relatively lonely and impoverished life. Before this point in his life, Joe was on the rise with his career as a rookie boxer, even going so far as to face his ultimate rival, one of the highest ranked boxers in Japan, in the previous arc from this series that we covered. However, in his avid and single-minded focus and determination to overcome his rival, he neglected to notice the strain and declining health of his own friend, and upon his death, it leaves Joe Yabuki in a state of utter shock and depression. Most notably, Joe blames himself for the outcome, even when reassured by every character who has known him that it was never his fault. What is particularly captivating about this scenario is that this is portraying Joe Yabuki as we’ve never seen him before: broken down and mentally unstable.
It is this very guilt and mental instability that causes his career to decline. He is training harder than ever, even to the point of degrading his own health in the long-run, yet some psychological barrier is holding him back, and he is losing matches left right and center. It gets to the point where he sinks so low as to drop out of the professional boxing scene at one point to make ends meet just by using the name status of his glory days to make a quick buck participating in fixed, un-sanctioned fights. This is no longer the Joe Yabuki that we have known throughout the series up to this point. Yet, in Japan, he has since gone on to become one of the most iconic and memorable characters in all of anime and manga. That is precisely what this story arc is. It is the break down and dissolution of who he was, Joe Yabuki the punk from the slums, and lays the groundwork for building him up as Joe Yabuki the icon.
Despite the cartoony appearance of this series, it handles the aspects of grief, guilt, and depression with a surprising degree of maturity, somehow combining the subdued nature of a Naoki Urasawa-esque character study with the blunt simplicity of an Osamu Tezuka manga (as it should, considering that Takamori and Chiba were among his most popular contemporaries). It is simply quite unlike anything else in the medium. It is not a fantasy shounen where the dead can come back to life, and unlike how a modern series might handle the issue, it is made abundantly clear that Joe will never be able to drop this from his memory for as long as he lives. He instead must resolve to live with it and let it guide who he becomes as his life goes on, or he will waste away, alone, wallowing in his own self-pity. Not only is there no easy way out of the situation; there is no way out, period. The subject matter is handled with a heavy dose of realism, and it treats its audience, young or old, with the utmost respect in discerning the message that Joe, like all of us, must cope with our losses in life and move on.
On an analytical level, it is far from the deepest or most nuanced presentation of any aspect of the human condition. On a visceral level, there really isn’t too much actual boxing here, so it’s low on the action and violence factor. And, on an excitement level, it is neither grand in scale nor fast-paced. It’s just a continuous string of damn strong writing, with some scenes full of insightful dialogue between characters, one particular scene involving a conversation between Joe and Yoko, a character who has always been on his bad side up to this point and vice versa. In this scene, she is the perfect person to give him a dose of what he needs, going through her own period of grief at the same time, and explaining to him how doing anything but living his life in the ring as he always had would be to dishonor his friend and those whose careers he has crushed. The conversation turns into a heated argument in such an uncomfortable way, yet convincingly hits so much home for Joe in the process. Other scenes completely forgo dialogue and convey powerful emotional impact with the use of absolutely nothing but the power of simple, suggestive artwork detailing character actions and vivid facial expressions, something that firmly cements manga as an art-form, and something that too many modern series have all but forgotten they can use.
For all of these reasons and probably a few more that none of us have the ability to properly convey with words, we consider this to be the strongest story arc that we have ever viewed in the medium of manga or anime up to this point. It is worth noting that both anime adaptations technically adapt this arc. The first anime does an adequate job, but quite frankly can’t capture the liveliness of Chiba’s artwork or the spot-on pacing of Takamori’s writing. The second anime is a great adaptation of the second half of the series, in its own right, but this arc is the exception, as it literally butchers the content by cutting together fragments of the story in an effort to rush past what the first anime had already covered. Needless to say, the manga is the version of this arc that you should be viewing.
As a work of fiction like any other on this list, can we outright call it the best that there is? Not by any means. However, in our collective opinion, we have yet to view any material stronger than this.
~Dr. Ensatsu-ken